The trials of recognition: Strongbow and Moonshade
by Jade Wildcat
Summary: Recognition is very diferent for each pair, this is my story of Strongbow and Moonshades first recognition. Sb/Ms ONESHOT


_**The Trials of Recognition: Strongbow and Moonshade**_

_Ok so I wrote this randomly, mostly because I never really liked Moonshade that much, but I love Strongbow. But I was going to start a story that follows the original main story line but has a few extra characters in it. So tell me what you think and how I can improve. –sending- just so you know lol_

Strongbow swung lightly down from his tree den, landing softly on the ground. He strode quickly yet silently over to his wolf-friend, Swiftpaw, glancing around cautiously. No one was in sight. He sighed with relief and mounted his wolf.

"Strongbow!"

He cringed and turned to face his pursuer, his face a blank mask.

_**-Yes?-**_

"Where are you going?" asked Moonshade, the young elf woman loped gracefully towards him.

_**-Hunting**__-_ he tried to keep the bite out of his sending.

Moonshade smiled coyly at him, "Can I go with you?"

_**-No-**_ Strongbow turned Swiftpaw away.

"Why not?" She sounded hurt.

Strongbow bit back a growl. **'**_She should be use to it by now'__**,**_he thought, '_I've been turning her down for many days now'._

_**-I hunt alone-**_

"No you don't. You hunt with Bearclaw. You hunt with Treestump, One-Eye and Longbranch."

_**-Only when they need me or I them-**_ he forgot to keep the anger from his sending, Moonshade winced.

"You hunt with Joyleaf", she sounded angry now and upset.

_**-What does it matter! I hunt alone when I want and with others when I want.-**_His eyes bored into hers. -_**I don't want to hunt with you.-**_

He turned and raced his wolf-friend into the forest, leaving Moonshade with tears in her eyes.

Moonshade wiped them away and gripped her dagger.

'_I'll show him I can hunt just as well was Joyleaf and the others.'_

"Awooooooooooooooooh"

Her wolf-friend Tancoat came running and she leaped aboard, racing after the young archer.

XXXXXXX

Strongbow raced through the trees, bow drawn and eyes sharp, a rare grin on his young face. Swiftpaw ran true to her name, chasing a doe through the forest. Strongbow let fly his arrow, it hit home, killing the dear instantly. He swung down to land beside it and set about making a stretcher to drag it back to the Holt.

A scream echoed through the trees, followed by a drawn out howl. Strongbow and his wolf stood tense, ready to fight or flee.

_**-Help- **_came the cry. -_**Oh tribemates, please come quick.-**_

'_Moonshade' _Strongbow growled low in his throat and swung on to his wolf, leaving the kill behind.

He raced through the forest and came to a skidding halt at the edge of a cliff, Moonshade's wolf-friend stood howling at its edge. Strongbow threw himself flat, looking over the cliff. There she was, hanging by a root, her eyes full of fear.

_**-Moonshade-**_

She glanced up and cried out in relief. He held out his bow, reaching down as far as he could. She reached up, straining to grab it. Her hand closed around the end and he pulled her up onto safe ground. Once she was on safe ground Strongbow grabbed Moonshade's shoulders.

_**-What were you thinking!- **_He shook her harshly._** - How could you be so stupid!-**_

His brown eyes burned as he glared into her wide violet ones.

_**-Did you forget that… there… was… ?!-**_

_**-Wyl-**_ Excitement, love and an unexplainable joy exploded in her as his name brushed her mind.

"No!" cried Strongbow, he pushed her away physically and mentally, shying from his greatest fear and his own soul name.

"No!" he repeated, leaping aboard Swiftpaw and racing away.

_**-Wyl-**_ Moonshade cried stretching one hand after his retreating figure from her set on the ground. He ignored the call racing away deeper into the forest. He paced his shocked tribemates as a blur not stopping to explain.

XXXXX

Three days later things had not improved. Moonshade was now thin, with dark circles under her eyes and a haunted look in their violet depths. Strongbow was bad tempered and weak, spending all his time hunting or in his den. Yet he refused to submit to the forces that pulled at him, tearing apart his mind and soul and weakening his body.

The tribe was worried, no-one had ever refused recognition, at least, not that they could remember. Many had spoken with Strongbow, trying to make him see sense. Each had their own method and none prevailed. Clearbrooke and One-Eye tried to tell him how wonderful it was to have a cub, it didn't work. Brownberry tried to gently talk him out of his defiant frame of mind, she left unsuccessful. Foxfur tried to trigger his guilt about what he was doing to Moonshade, she left him in tears. Treestump decided to physically force him out of his den, he landed in a heap at the base of the Father tree. Bearclaw ordered him to heed the call, he was rewarded by stubborn silence.

Then Joyleaf went to see him. She stayed in his den for a whole day, the rest hovered close to the Holt, waiting. Finally Joyleaf came out and retreated to her own den looking tired. Everyone watched as Strongbow climbed slowly down and Bearclaw caught him when he fell.

_**-Eyrn-**_ he called, his strength instantly started to return.

_**-Wyl?-**_

_**-Yes. Come. We need each other-.**_

Moonshade came as asked and the whole tribe watched as they walked away into the forest.

_**-Joyleaf?- **_ Bearclaw swung into their den, -_**Beloved, what did you say to him?-**_

_**-Never you mind Lifemate**_.-

Many months latter an infant's cries rang threw the Holt. Baby Crescent had been born and Strongbow glowed with happiness.

_**-Thank you-**_ He lock-sent to Joyleaf. -_**Thank you for making me see sense-**_

She smiled_**, -I told you there was nothing to fear, Moonshade will never own your body or soul. No-one ever will-**_

Strongbow looked at the baby in his arms. -_**I hope your right-**_

**A/N So there you have it, now tell me what you think. I really want to know how to improve my writing as I hope to be an author. **

**Thanks**

**Jade Wildcat**


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